Charkie’$ Mini Street Barber was founded by twenty-six-year-old Charles Kogia from a mixed parentage of Milne Bay and Central last year.
“I started my own street barbershop during the first COVID-19 lockdown last year,” says Kogia.
He had left his full-time work as a barber with Beauty Well at Vision City during the first COVID-19 lockdown in March of 2020.
Preferring to be his ‘own boss’ Kogia operates from his family house located along Lapwing Drive, Gordons Port Moresby.
He is joined by Chris (Barber) and Shannon (Photographer) and the trio charged only K10 for any haircut (children, male and female included).
“We charge only K10 because it’s cheap and affordable.”
Since opening, Kogia and his team give up to 7 to 10 haircuts per day; 5 on a slow day.
With the little money Kogia gets from his business, he helps out his Mum with bills and also looks after his wife and daughter; saving the extra for his daughter’s school fees.
The response received is far from overwhelming for the boys; their clients span all over the city.
“We have clients who their friends brought them here,” Kogia said “and now brings their friends.”
This was the case for 23-year-old Shannon who works for a small multimedia company in Port Moresby (615res Media Productions) and until recently became the Barber’s photographer to help promote the business online.
“My cousin brother was the one who brought me here to get a haircut and since then I come here regularly until 2 months ago I joined the team,” said Shannon.
Kogia hopes to build a canopy in the not so distant future so he and his team can continue to work even when it rains.
“Right now we operate just in the open and when it rains, we don’t give haircuts.”
Focusing on the complete barbershop experience from the conversations; each client that enters Charkie’$ Street Barber leaves as a friend.
